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lugubrious
(adj.) full of sorrow; mournful
The man's lugubrious heart kept him from enjoying the special occasion.
luminous
(adj.) emitting light; shining; also enlightened or intelligent
The luminous quality of the precious stone made it look like a fallen
star.
They found their way through the darkness by heading toward the luminous
object in the distance.
lunge
(v.) to move suddenly
The owl will lunge at its prey in order to take it off guard.
lurid
(adj.) glowing through haze; shocking, sensational
A lurid sun shone upon them as they watched the sun set on the beach.
The tabloid specialized in lurid stories about celebrities' indiscretions.
lustrous
(adj.) bright; radiant; shining
Surrounded by rubies, the lustrous diamond looked magnificent.
luxuriant
(adj.) to grow with energy and in great abundance
The luxuriant flowers grew in every available space.
macerate
(v.) to soften by steeping in liquid
It was necessary to macerate the food before the elderly man could eat
it.
They placed her foot in the solvent to macerate the cement she had stepped
in.
maculate
(adj.; v.) spotted, blotched; hence defiled, impure (opposite: immaculate);
to stain, spot, defile
The maculate rug could not be cleaned.
Grape juice maculated the carpet.
magnanimity
(n.; adj.) a quality of nobleness of mind, disdain of meanness or revenge;
forgiving; unselfish
Being full of magnanimity he asked the thief only for an apology and set
him free.
The magnanimous store owner did not press charges once an apology was
given.
The magnanimity of the professor overcame the rage of the student.
malediction
(n.) putting a curse on someone; talking negatively about another
With the threat of a malediction, the man left the fortuneteller's house.
Never having a nice word to say about anyone, her conversations are full
of malediction.
malefactor
(n.) an evil person
The malefactor ordered everyone to work over the holidays.
The prison contains malefactors of all ages.
malevolent
(adj.) wishing evil (opposite: benevolent)
The man threatened his opponent with threats and malevolent words.
She had malevolent feelings toward her sister.
malicious
(adj.) spiteful; vindictive
The malicious employee slashed her tires for revenge.
malign
(v.; adj.) to speak evil of; having an evil disposition toward others
(opposite: benign)
In her statement to the judge she maligned her soon-to-be ex-husband.
She had such a malign personality that no one even tried to approach her,
mostly out of fear.
malinger
(v.) to pretend to be ill in order to escape work
He will malinger on Friday so he can go to the movies.
The soldier will malinger to avoid fighting.
malleable
(adj.) easy to shape or bend; pliable
The malleable material was formed into a U shape.
The sculptor uses malleable substances to create complex masterpieces.
mandate
(n.) order; charge
The new manager wrote a mandate declaring that smoking was now prohibited
in the office.
manifest
(v.; adj.) to show clearly; to appear; obvious, clear
The image should manifest itself as the building when the fog lifts.
When the missing document suddenly manifested, the search for the person
that buried it began.
America's manifest destiny was to acquire all of the land between the
Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
mar
(v.) damage
The statue was marred by the ravages of time.
marauder
(n.) plunderer or raider
The marauder had been traveling for two months searching for the large
stash.
materialism
(n.) the belief that everything in the universe is explained in terms
of matter; the belief that worldly possessions are the be-all and end-all
in life
Spiritualists will tell you that materialism is only half the story.
Some said that the prince's profligacy gave materialism a bad name.
maudlin
(adj.) foolishly and tearfully sentimental
The maudlin affair consisted of three speeches in honor of the benefactor.
maverick
(n.) a person who does not conform to the norm
The maverick drove a large truck as others were purchasing compact cars.
meander
(v.; adj.) wind, wander; winding, wandering aimlessly
The stream meanders through the valley.
Because we took a long, meandering walk, we arrived home well after dark.
They meandered through the woods for the afternoon.
melancholy
(n.) depression; gloom
The funeral parlor was filled with the melancholy of mourning.
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